Six Early Clues Before a Meltdown (and 60‑Second Moves That Work)

Two nights ago a parent texted: "He went from fine to full meltdown in 90 seconds and I froze." This episode reframes that moment by showing how most big outbursts leave small, learnable clues. I name six concrete, observable early signals—physiology shifts (breath, face), language changes, routine hiccups, sensory reactions, withdrawal, and repeat triggers—and give short, age‑adapted examples. Then I model three practical 60‑second micro‑moves you can use immediately: a brief validation + breath cue, a tiny environmental nudge, and a simplified two‑choice script, with verbatim lines for toddler, school‑age child and teen and tone notes so caregivers can copy what fits. The episode includes neurodiversity and cultural adaptation guidance, production cues to practice aloud, a simple one‑week metric to track impact, safety red flags, and a free downloadable one‑sheet so listeners can try one micro‑move tonight and share results with #OneMinuteChange.